


He's just a reflection.

by BloodyBacon



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Animal Ears, Clones, Dogboys & Doggirls, Ears, Fluff and Angst, For Science!, Gay, Genetically Engineered Beings, How Do I Tag, M/M, Shotacon, Weird Biology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:46:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27895528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyBacon/pseuds/BloodyBacon
Summary: Clive becomes acquainted with a little boy who eventually turns into something completely different.
Relationships: Clive/Luke Triton
Kudos: 2





	He's just a reflection.

Clive stared down at the sidewalk as he walked, one of his hands in his pockets, still wearing his work uniform. A black shirt and some black pants with a logo that said "wendy's" 

He sighed, his apartment was close, it'd only be about ten more minutes of walking before he got there. He had to make a stop though, carrying a bag full of fries in his other hand. He made his way through a neighborhood he didn’t live in, he used to just walk through it and look at all the huge houses, fantasize that he lived there, and have a couple moments where things felt alright. 

Now, as he stopped behind a tall white fence, climbing over it, he had a new reason to come here. 

“Psst-” He said, watching as a big fluffy tail stuck itself out of a doghouse. His once blank expression turned warm and kind, a smile forming at his mouth as he watched the boy shuffle out of his doghouse. Luke was his name, the creation of some strange professor. A dog, human hybrid that seemed to never catch a break. He looked up at Clive, his brown hair covering his eyes from how little he was groomed. “Hotdog man!” 

“I- It’s Clive!” Clive said, tossing the bag towards the boy. He was sitting on the ground, shuffling over to it, lowering his ears as he opened it. “Oh- right- I forget-" Luke happily took out a fry, and started to chew it up, taking it over to his house. Clive just watched him shuffle back inside of the cramped dog house and eat his food. He was probably cold, it was winter and he didn't have a single shred of clothing on ... he was so skinny, what he wouldn’t do to get Luke out of here. "Thank you! I’ve been out here for three days! i'm hungry-" Luke whimpered, and Clive felt his heart shatter. 

This boy, who Clive had seen many times before, didn’t always used to be like this. He wasn’t always a dog, he wasn’t always left outside like this. Luke used to come outside and greet Clive every day on his way home from work, and Clive would give him some of the food from his job. Luke would eat it, they’d talk, and then Clive would go back home… But one day, He didn’t see him again, for about a month.

Until he let his curiosity get the better of him, and he looked over the fence in the backyard.

“That's terrible, how have you been, bud? I didn’t see you yesterday-” Clive asked. He'd feared for the worst when Luke wasn't around, thinking maybe he'd been taken by the government for experimentations or something else along those lines.

Luke looked up, and shook his head, “I went to the doctor-” He quietly said, he seemed calm about it, so Clive figured maybe there was nothing wrong. He was still worried though, something just didn’t feel right here. “You did? What did they say?”

“They said something weird- that I can’t have babies-” 

“Oh …  _ oh- _ I’m sorry-” Clive said. Luke just tilted his head, as if he didn’t understand the significance of what he’d said. Clive guessed it didn’t matter, he was probably too young to think about making babies. "Have you gone for a walk yet?" Clive asked, getting another headshake. 

"They won't walk you anymore?"

"I was bad- i bit a hand so I don't go walk anymore … but I only bit because he was choking me-! collar was too tight- it’s not fair!" Luke whimpered. “I wanna go inside where it’s warm, I hate tiny dog houses-” He curled his tail around his body, having finished his fries, and Clive just ...

Clive stared off into space, before his body moved on its own, and he found himself jumping over the fence, onto the soft green grass below. He looked at Luke, and reached out, putting a hand on his neck. The chain, the collar, he gripped it, and pulled at it. 

“What are you doing?” Luke just watched him. Clive put his foot on the chain, and pulled, eventually snapping it, setting Luke free … his tail starting to wag as Clive picked him up. 

"Where are we going?" 

"A-away- i guess." 

"Ooh- Clive’s stealing?"

Clive hugged Luke close, "Is this stealing?" He asked, stepping up onto Luke's dog house. "go- over the fence-" 

"But I'll fall!"

"You'll be alright- I promise-" Clive assured him, letting him jump over and onto th3 concrete. He rolled a little bit when he hit the ground with a little "oof" sound, and Clive jumped down after him, holding out his arms so Luke could get up. 

Once he did, and Clive realized just what it was he was doing, he decided to move fast, taking the Boy's hand as he walked home. "Where are we going?" Luke asked, and Clive looked around, "We're going to my place- are you hungry?" 

"Yes!"

"Good-" Clive said, putting a hand on his head. "i'll feed you, give you a bath and get all that hair out of your face, alright?" 

Luke nodded, before lifting his ear, "Can you get this stuff out? It hurts-" he said. He needed his ears cleaned badly, Clive cringed looking at it, but nodded. "I'll make sure it doesn't hurt anymore-" he promised, watching Luke push his hair back. "Thank you!" He happily said, showing Clive his entire face for the first time. Rosy cheeks, dark brown eyes, so incredibly cute. Clive felt like he could see the universe in those cinnamon swirl irises, it made him determined to keep Luke away from these people. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


…

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Clive had Luke sitting in the tub, he rubbed his back, watching as a little too much dirt fell down the drain. Luke had a little scar going down his back, and multiple circular burn marks that the other wished he knew the history of. It'd been quiet ever since they got home, Clive couldn't find the strength to say anything, and Luke was too starstruck to think. 

"Your house is so tiny on the inside!" He finally said as Clive rinsed his hair out. He … sighed, "it's bigger than your dog house~" He said, Flinching out of the way a little as Luke’s tail splashed water all over the place. “I Like it here!” Luke started pawing at the water. “The water is warm …” He said in a relaxed tone. His hands were more dog than human, they were his skin color, but his fingers were fat, and his palms looked more like the palm of a Dog’s hand. 

Clive enjoyed the ten minutes he took washing the boy’s hands off, getting any excuse he could to touch them, Anything to get his paws on those paws. 

He put the shower head back where it was, and turned the water off … “ah- so- You need clothes-” He thought out loud to himself. Luke started to wring out his tail’s fur, stepping out of the tub. He shook, getting water everywhere as Clive walked off into his room, just next to the bathroom. He started to open up his drawers. While he was doing that, mumbling things to himself about probably having to get some underwear. Luke just pulled the sheet off of his bed, and wrapped it around himself.

He looked over at the mirror, standing there in what looked like a long black cloak as Clive tossed aside his clothes. “I like this!” He said, making the other look up from his fabric adventure. “Hm …- Well- That’s- my bed sheet- but-” Clive pulled out a hoodie, “How about this instead? It’s basically the same thing- plus it’ll keep you warmer-” He held it out. Luke walked over to him, letting Clive put the hoodie over his body. It was usually something He’d wear to work, so it smelled like fast food, Hamburgers, fries, Chicken nuggets. 

The good stuff. 

Luke’s stomach made an audible noise, and he walked off on his own. “I smell food!” 

“Uh- ..” Clive just let him go, deciding to throw his clothes back into his drawer. One thing after the other as he sat and thought about the fact that he really stole someone’s dog. 

But Luke isn’t a dog, he’s a person! A real person- with thoughts and feelings and- legs and stuff- He’s …

Luke walked back inside, holding Clive’s lunch box. He kept the one his mom gave him all those years ago, it reminded him to stay calm and try to do the right thing. Seeing Luke with it just solidified his choice, and gave him another idea. 

He was sick of this job, sick of this apartment- 

“ Can I have this? It’s pretty!” He said. Clive just … nodded, “yeah … um- Let me clean your ears out- and then we’ll leave in the morning-”

“Leave?”

“Yeah-! Uh-” He stood up, taking a pair of scissors and some cotton swabs off of the dresser. “We could leave, and go somewhere more safe- a bigger house maybe? I could- get a job that pays me more … I was already planning on moving-” He said, sitting down on his bed. 

Luke sat next to him, and leaned over onto his lap, laying his head down. He lifted an ear, “be careful ..” he said, getting a nod from Clive. “I will- I just … You’re always so happy to see me, I know it probably doesn’t make sense since I only see you for about five minutes every day but you mean a lot to me-” He said, cutting the hair and the dried up ear wax. 

He stopped talking when he saw it, cringing as he pulled out … a lot. 

_ A lot.  _

“ that feels goooood~” 

“.. does- it?” Clive wiped off the wax on his bed, he’d wash it later. Luke just nodded, allowing Clive to keep cleaning his ears. He seemed so calm, eating the grapes and other simple snack foods Clive had packed inside of the lunch box. Every once in a while He’d wince when Clive cut a little bit of his ear hair. 

The pile started to grow, Luke’s ears were surprisingly deep. Luke rolled over onto his other side, facing Clive now as he lifted his ear. Clive … stared down into it, before snapping out of his trance. He started pulling out wax, tugging, cutting, pulling, wiping. He went through cotton swab after cotton swab, but by the end of it, Luke seemed extremely happy. 

He didn’t move once Clive was done, he just sat there wanting his head scratched. 

Clive complied, of course- who wouldn’t? Nobody in their right mind could possibly deny such a cute little puppy a few head pats …

Which was something he never thought he’d ever think to himself. He stopped, Luke was asleep, and there was a big ball of ear wax on his bed. He moved the boy, letting him sleep on top of one of the pillows. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


…

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Clive watched Luke dig through the sand, sitting on the roof of his car. So, he had a dog, and he’d run away, now what? He went to the beach, pulled up next to the water, and let Luke play around in the sand while he figured out what he was gonna do. What his relationship was with this boy, what it could be. Where He could be … He stared down at his phone, texting a few people he hadn’t in a while. 

“Look! I got a crab!” Luke said, holding the creature by it’s shell. Clive set his phone down, and smiled, “really?” 

“There's a bunch of them! A whole- Crab family!” Luke said, picking up another one as it skittered by. Clive slid down from the top of his car, and reached into the passenger seat, taking out a bucket, and dumping out all of the blood inside. 

“You wanna eat crab tonight?” He asked, washing the bucket out in the beach water. He might need to back his car up, being so close to the tide wasn’t a good thing. 

Luke tossed the crabs in the bucket, and watched them as they moved around, fighting each other …

“Eat the crabs …?” He asked, getting a nod from Clive. “Yeah- Eat the crabs- something wrong?”

“ … but- what about the crab’s family?”

“...” cute- “Well- uh- Crabs don’t have family like people and other animals do … I- I think- Plus these are adult crabs so they left their family a long time ago-” 

“.. but what about their friends?” Luke asked, and Clive just sighed. “If you feel bad for the crabs we don’t have to eat them- but … well- We’re all animals so it’s normal to eat other animals- I know it seems cruel but that’s just the way life is, and if you’re too soft then something’s just gonna eat you-” 

“Oh …” Luke seemed a little sad, so Clive gently tipped the bucket over. “But- t-there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be nice! We wouldn’t be human otherwise-” He said, and Luke happily watched as the crabs shuffled away, going back into the water. “That’s what mom said when dad let the professor turn me into a dog …” 

“...  _ i- oh-  _ so- she was against it?”

“Mm …” Luke looked out at the ocean, just listening to the sound of the water rushing up to them. “We needed the money…” He said, after a long, long, looooooong while of the purest silence Clive ever had to sit through. He sat down next to Luke, “so … this- professor guy. He did this to you for- money reasons?” 

Luke nodded, “to see if he could make a clone-” 

“... wait- are you a clone?”

Luke nodded, and Clive just stared at him. “He wanted to make a clone, and he wanted to put a brain in a different body- He did both. He made a me with a lady dog- and then he put my brain in the dog when it grew …” 

“ … s-so- this- isn’t your body-” 

“Mm-mm” Luke shook his head. Clive looked down at the sand … “I’m gonna be honest, that’s pretty fucked up- but I’m more concerned with the fact that this means- A, Your normal body doesn’t have a brain. B, it’s possible to Clone a person’s body using a dog, and C, This means immortality could be a real thing at some point …” He said, and Luke nodded. “They threw it away … but it’s okay! Because I made a friend and now I get to go outside whenever I want!” Luke said, sneezing a couple times in a row. He wiped his nose, and sniffled, “But it’s cold- can we go home?” He asked. Clive nodded, “Yea- yeah ..” He got up, dusting the sand off of his clothes. He held his hand out, and Luke took hold of it. 

“So … do you like being a dog?” Clive asked, dusting Luke’s tail off as he made his way to his car. Luke shrugged, “I like being cute-” He said. 

Well, at least he was aware of it. 

The two got into the car, Luke put on his seatbelt and swung his legs, patiently waiting for Clive to start the car. The only issue was, Clive didn’t know where he should go. Was this some sort of early midlife crisis? Why did he feel the need to just- leave everything behind and go tear up an entire town?

“Luke …” He asked, putting the key into the ignition. Luke looked over at him, and Clive just stared at the key, thinking …

“You wanna go do something fun?”

“Fun?” Luke asked, wagging his tail. Clive nodded, “Yeah, fun- like …” He turned the key, and the car started. “A couple cities over, there’s this place, it’s where I’m from- and there’s lots of fun stuff to do there … You can even get money from it-” 

“Really?”

“Yup- then we could live there- and have fun every day if we want to-”

“Really??” Luke asked, getting a nod from the older male. “ Just promise me something-”

“Yeah?”

“You’ll stay with me-?”

“... hm?” Luke asked, tilting his head. Clive took his hand, “You’ll stay with me-” He said again, almost like a command. Luke just stared at Clive, unsure what it was he was looking at. The once familiar look of friendship, care, and almost parental affection that Clive had whenever Luke looked at him was much different now. Not to say it wasn’t there, it was there, but something else was too. A protective ownership, Luke could see clearly that Clive’s view of him was changing, so he nodded. 

The hand that came to his head was as gentle as it always was, rubbing him between his ears, offering security. Luke grabbed his arm, And enthusiastically hugged it. “I’ll stay!”

“...” Clive smiled, and wrapped his arms around Luke, who could still smell the scent of hamburgers on him.

**Author's Note:**

> (doesn't explain)  
> its an important thought to me


End file.
